Arseblog - The Arsecasts, Arsenal Podcasts

On this week's show some reflections on what has been a difficult week on and off the pitch, and even among fans as we all get tarnished with an unfair brush after the Granit Xhaka incident and some other unsavoury behaviour. Then it's Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal, with Charles Watts, looking at the positives like Gabriel Martinelli, Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and, of course, the return of Mesut Ozil. Will his display be enough for Unai Emery to start him against Wolves? All that, lots of the usual waffle and some Holy God FM.NOTE: This podcast was recorded and uploaded before Granit Xhaka's statement which was released last night: https://arseblog.news/2019/10/xhaka-releases-statement-lets-get-back-to-a-place-of-mutual-respect/  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace was disappointing, but the big story is the substitution of Granit Xhaka, the fan reaction to him and his reaction to the fans. Can we separate the footballer from the human being? What do we make of him having a pop back, even if his behaviour was wrong was it understandable that his emotion got the better of him? What next for him, in relation to playing and the captaincy, and is this just a symptom of a wider malaise? That, plus underwhelming football, more dropped points, increased pressure on Unai Emery, VAR costing Arsenal three points, as well as questions about social media likes, managerial candidates, unity and togetherness, season expectations and lots more.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this post Europa League show, James and I discuss the 3-2 win over Vitoria, and in particular substitute Nicolas Pepe whose two sensational free kicks salvaged a win from the jaws of defeat. We chat about how this might impact him and boost his confidence, especially ahead of the weekend game against Crystal Palace. Other positives include Gabriel Martinelli, fitness boosts for some of our important players, and more, before a long discussion about Mesut Ozil, Unai Emery and what now appears to be a personal PR war between the two. What can the club do about this situation which has been festering for over a year? Then we have questions about the young players, Lucas Torreira's role, Bellerin and Tierney, how fans are feeling about our football and the manager, and one horrendous potential candidate to take over from Emery. All this and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show it's another dismal away day and a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United. We chat about the game, the indifferent Arsenal performance, an inability to create chances despite having lots of possession, and how this is just the continuation of a run of form that goes back to last season too. Then the second half of the show is basically questions about Unai Emery and the work he's doing: boiling down to the big one, is he the right man for the club, and is it time to make a change? It's long, not particularly cheery, but I think we've covered all the angles.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show I take questions from some Arsecast listeners and Arseblog Members on Patreon. We chat about signings that didn't happen, the January window, Freddie Ljungberg's readiness to be a head coach, Granit Xhaka's place in the midfield, why in 2019 it remains difficult for gay footballers to come out, and lots more. Plus some pre-call waffle about a funny book, a podcast anniversary and other stuff besides.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's an Interlull episode, and there's very little Arsenal news around. However, we wouldn't leave you without a podcast, and this episode includes Nico Yennaris and chicken's feet, Arsene Wenger's upcoming autobiography and how much we're looking forward to reading it, an international round-up involving Arsenal players, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as player of the month and someone who deserves a new contract, Bellerin and Tierney, that Mustafi interview, dream jobs at Arsenal, buying a pint you don't want because you've been caught using a pub's toilets, and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Madrid based journalist Alex Kirkland to talk about Unai Emery, his use of young players, how that tallies with young talent at his previous clubs, communication with the press and the fans, Arsenal's performances so far this season, the ever-green question of footballing identity, plus Dani Ceballos and Santi Cazorla. Then Tim Stillman chats to Arsenal defender Leah Williamson about her recent trip to Jakarta for the club's Coaching for Life programme, her international commitments, and lots more.Follow Alex @alexkirklandFollow Tim @Stillberto  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A couple of weeks ago Ian Wright went to meet his old Arsenal teammate Dennis Bergkamp. It was the first time they'd seen each other in years, and on Wednesday you'll be able to watch the conversation they had on Ian's YouTube channel. In this podcast, Wrighty chats about his relationship with Dennis, what he thought of him as a player, what he brought to the club when he joined in 1995, and what he learned from him despite being an experienced pro at that point. We also chat about some of the young players making their breakthroughs at Arsenal right now, and in particular Ian's mentoring of Eddie Nketiah who is out on loan at Leeds.Subscribe to Ian's YouTube channel here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Arsenal go into the Interlull in third place in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Bournemouth yesterday. The three points and clean sheet are very welcome, but the discussion revolves around the result and a performance which saw us have just two shots on target at home. Why can't we seem to produce good football in league games verus the cup performances? Can we continue to play like this and hope to finish in the top four? And what were the positives on the day? We also answer listener questions about Nicolas Pepe, Dani Ceballos, our midfield and Granit Xhaka, the woes being endured by Sp*rs and Man Utd, opposition managers and lots more besides.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Arsenal's 4-0 win over Standard Liege was another enjoyable night of cup football, and James and discuss the game, the stand-out performances including two goal Gabriel Martinelli, Joe Willock and Kieran Tierney. We also chat about Hector Bellerin's return as captain, the impact the young players are having and try and figure out why they play with more panache and freedom than the 'first team', as well as listener questions about Shkodran Mustafi, Mesut Ozil's absence from the squad and what Unai Emery's post-match comments about the German tell us, some hashtag fun and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this month's edition of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Pippa and Tim are joined by The Athletic's Women's Football Writer Kieran Theivam. Kieran recently met with Joe Montemurro's older brother Anthony and his childhood friend from Melbourne, Sticca. Pippa and Tim talk to Kieran about Joe, getting a sense of his childhood and his career path. Kieran was in Milan for The Best awards recently and there is some chat about Vivianne Miedema's omission from the FIFPRO World XI- we also hear from Viv herself on the vote and then there is some chat with Joe Montemurro in the wake of the recent 4-0 victory over Brighton.Kieran's article for The Athletic is here (£)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here's a special bonus episode of the Arsecast, in which I chat to Amy Lawrence about her brand new book '89'. As you'll be well aware, it's about that famous night at Anfield, an oral history in which the players, the manager, staff and fans talk about what happened and what it all meant. We discuss the book itself, the achievement of winning the title against a team as good as Liverpool, how winning the title meant something of a new start for Arsenal but almost the end of a footballing era in the wake of Hillsborough and the state of the game in the 80s, and lots more. Enjoy.Follow Amy on Twitter @amylawrence71 – and you can pick the book up from your local bookshop from tomorrow (October 3rd), on audio-book via Audible, or online via the usual outlets including Amazon.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show we discuss the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford which, in isolation, isn't a bad result but in the context of this season and the needs of this team feels a bit bad. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goal again highlighted his importance to the team, and in Guendouzi, Saka, Leno and Chambers, there were positives. But Unai Emery's approach remains under the spotlight, the performance was insipid, and his brand of football is hard to connect with. We chat about all that, as well as answering listener questions about Nicolas Pepe's early struggles, Ozil's absence, the captaincy, how to reshape midfield and more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show I'm joined by James Benge of Football London to discuss Arsenal players voting for captain, is this Unai Emery being indecisive or cleverly inclusive in his decision making? We also chat about the midweek game against Forest, the returns of Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney, as well as Lucas Torreira's best position and Granit Xhaka. Then we get a Man Utd perspective ahead of the trip to Old Trafford on Monday with Musa Okwonga, chatting Solksjaer, the Glazers, midfield woes and lots more besides.Follow James: @jamesbengeFollow Musa:@Okwonga & @stadio  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show we discuss the 3-2 win over Aston Villa which saw ten man Arsenal twice come from behind to take three important Premier League points. Does the comeback paper over the cracks though? It was another worrying performance, particularly in the first half – can Unai Emery's team continue to play like this and expect to win games? We chat about the performance of Matteo Guendouzi, the reaction to Granit Xhaka and the implications for the captaincy decision, Pepe getting off the mark, Aubameyang's contribution and leadership skills, as well as listener questions about Mesut Ozil, the centre of our defence, the future of the manager and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Andrew Allen to break down the 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. We start with the positives. Joe Willock shows his talent once again; Bukayo Saka announces himself with a sensational performance; and Emi Martinez impresses in goal. The Europa League needs to be a showcase for this young talent. Then we discuss the fact we allowed 24 attempts on goal, wonder how Unai Emery is going to make this team more defensively stable, and look ahead to the Villa game at the weekend. All that and a little bit of waffle.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show we pore over the 2-2 draw with Watford on Sunday, and what feels like a significant day for Unai Emery in his Arsenal career. Having been 2-0 up at the break, we were lucky not to lose, and the second half performance in particular raises serious questions about the manager and his team. Why do we allow so many shots? Why do we concede so many penalties? Is there enough accountability? Is there something in the culture at the club that accepts too many individual mistakes? We go into it in detail, from the goals we scored to the ones we conceded, what the result says about this team and its character, and what it means for Emery who is finding the tide of public opinion turning against him. All that, plus listener questions about the Europa League, Aubameyang's contract, Calum Chambers, Pepe's impact so far and lots more.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show I'm joined Sid Lowe to discuss Dani Ceballos. Sid's interview with him in the Guardian this week was fantastic, and we tease a few things out such as the player's relationship with Zinedine Zidane, how this loan move is as much an opportunity for Arsenal as Ceballos, and the prospects of him staying beyond this season. After that I chat with the Man from East Lower about Granit Xhaka, the emergence of Joe Willock and the potential reshaping of our midfield, the soon to return Hector Bellerin and soon to debut Kieran Tierney, the front three, and more including some wistful memories of Freddie Ljungberg.Follow Sid: @SidloweFollow Jim: @eastlower  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're back after holidays, and on this week's Interlull heavy show we discuss Per Mertesacker whose new book comes out this week, touching on his job as Academy manager, his playing career, and how he's trying to shape the next generation of young Arsenal talent. There's a round-up of the scant Arsenal news, including injury worries for Granit Xhaka, the departure of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and how Europa League and Carabao Cup could be very useful for us this month. We then answer listener questions about young English players, Nacho Monreal's legacy, Lucas Torreira and how he fits into the team under Unai Emery, Ceballos or Ozil for the Watford game, Arsene Wenger's upcoming biography and lots more including wasp picnics and slippery nuts.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm away on holiday this week, so no regular Arsecast, but instead here's one that originally appeared on our Patreon feed. It's part of a series called The Players, and in this episode I chat to Philippe Auclair about Robert Pires, his career at Arsenal, favourite goals and moments, and much more. Enjoy.Sign up to become a Patreon member at patreon.com/arseblog  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.